The Mechanics of Satire
Irony: The expression of meaning by using language/visuals that signify the opposite. Traditionally used for humorous or emphatic effect.
Symbolism: An artistic movement or style that uses images or indirect suggestion to express ideals, emotion, or states of mind.
Humor: Raising laughter to embarrass, the quality of being amusing or comic, especially in literature or speech
Exaggeration: The action of making statements that represent something as better or worse than it is
Caricature: A picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain, striking characteristics are exaggerated to create a comic or grotesque effect
Parody: To produce a humorously exaggerated imitation
In Candide, Voltaire satirizes blind optimism through the character of Pangloss, who speaks as misfortune materializes around him, "It is demonstrable, that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for all being created for an end, all is necessarily for the best end." Voltaire uses satirical irony to expose the absurdity of blind optimism, highlighting how detached philosophical ideals can be from lived reality.
In this first painting of Hogarth's satirical series, Marriage A-La Mode, Hogarth critiques the transactional nature of aristocratic marriage through dense layers of symbolism. The figures are positioned like chess pieces in a business deal to expose the moral hollowness beneath wealth and title.
John Gay's The Beggar's Opera uses caricature and parody to mock the corruption of both the upper class and the criminal underworld. Instead of noble heroes or virtuous leaders, Gay presents a world where thieves and politicians are barely distinguishable. The result is a comedic yet biting critique of class hypocrisy, performed through exaggerated behavior.